Protect Yourself Against 5 HVAC Emergencies in Hampstead, NC

As temperatures in Hampstead, NC start to increase, it’s important that you avoid HVAC emergencies. After all, experiencing a system breakdown when temperatures reach their highest is not only inconvenient but also unsafe. Here are five common HVAC crises and some tips on how to avoid them.

1. Dirty Filters and Airflow

Good airflow is essential to all aspects of your HVAC system’s performance, and dirty or outdated filters form perhaps the most serious threat to this. As dirt and other airborne pollutants gather on the mesh of your filters, they block the flow of air through your home, leading to inefficiency, elevated energy bills, overheating and other problems.

Luckily, you can take care of this problem by yourself. You just need to remember to change the filters in your HVAC system at least once every 90 days. You can change them more often if you have pets in your home or face other threats to indoor air quality.

Ductwork issues may also diminish airflow through your system. Over time, your ducts may suffer damage from abrasion, causing little holes to appear through which air can leak out of your system. You’ll need to ask HVAC technicians to seal up these holes.

2. Electrical Problems

Electrical problems don’t only threaten your HVAC system, but they also pose a potential fire hazard. HVAC systems require a considerable amount of power, which makes these issues even more specialized.

After 25-40 years of service, you should replace your electrical panel. You should also make sure that your circuit breaker is of the correct size relative to your HVAC system. We strongly advise you to seek professional help for all such things since any DIY work in this area carries a high risk of electrocution.

3. Thermostat Issues

There are two broad types of thermostat problems. Either you have a manual thermostat and have still not upgraded to a programmable one, or the programmable thermostat that you have has malfunctioned in some way. If you have the former problem, make the change as soon as possible because by not doing so, you’re missing out on many important advantages.

Thermostat malfunctions cause many different HVAC problems, like wild temperature jumps, short cycling and a refusal by your system to either turn on or off. Anything from dead batteries to faulty wiring or a broken circuit board may be behind this. Investigating and solving a problem like this is one of the many things that an HVAC technician might do during maintenance.

4. Refrigerant or Gas Leaks

Central air conditioning systems and heat pumps both use refrigerant to do their work. By moving back and forth between the evaporator and condenser coils of these systems, refrigerant changes from a liquid to a gas, taking heat from the air in one area and depositing it into another. If your system’s refrigerant lines suffer damage, a refrigerant leak may happen.

You should immediately call for professional assistance if any of these substances leak from your HVAC system. If possible, we advise you to turn off your HVAC system in the event of a leak. Then, leave home immediately and await the arrival of technicians.

5. Mechanical Problems

Lastly, there are a whole host of different mechanical issues that might afflict your HVAC system. These issues all revolve around some part or parts either breaking completely or functioning sub-optimally. A simple tune-up might fix some of these problems, but others will call for more extensive repairs.

For example, to function properly, the evaporator coil, condenser coil and compressor all need to work together. Plus, fans and motors need to work to push air through the system, and the expansion valve needs to allow refrigerant to expand and turn into a gas at the right moment. Any of these parts may break, thereby demanding professional intervention.

Staying ahead of potential HVAC issues is crucial. Call Airmax Heating & Cooling to get high-quality HVAC services around Hampstead, NC today.

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